My Second Marriage with the Mafia Kingpin-Chapter 61: Not Settling For A Consolation Prize

A light moan escaped Ashley as she stretched her arms and legs. Her eyes fluttered open, catching the familiar ceiling she had grown used to.

For some time now, seeing this ceiling the moment she woke up was her sign that she was still alive—back in time to fix what she should have. But before her lips could form a smile, memories of last night came rushing back.

"Right," she muttered as she sat upright. But when her feet moved, she realized the chains were no longer there.

"Huh?" She blinked, confused, before noticing a small figure lying beside her.

Ashley turned her head, catching Primo asleep on the bed. "What is he doing here?" she whispered, reaching out to check his temperature.

She heaved a sigh of relief when she felt it was back to normal. Tilting her head slightly, she checked his complexion and nodded in satisfaction when she confirmed he looked better as well.

"I didn’t want him to hear what happened," she clicked her tongue. "I told Betty to keep him entertained."

She didn’t want Primo involved in the complicated problems of the adults in this place. But it seemed that even after instructing Betty to keep him distracted and shielded from unpleasant matters, it was futile.

"Did they remove my chain because of him?" She frowned slightly, glancing at her freed feet.

Ashley hugged her knees, burying half her face against them. "Did I fail?"

Last night, she had fallen asleep while trying to hold back her tears. Perhaps it was because she had too many things to deal with the day before, plus standing in line for hours had drained her.

So, she didn’t know what happened afterward.

She had no idea if she had been unchained because Primo found out... or if Nolan had managed to clear things up.

"Knowing him..." she trailed off, her eyes lowering.

She pressed her lips into a thin line before resting her head on her knees. "Damn it," she breathed out.

Knowing Lucian, it was possible he had simply shut everyone down. He wasn’t the type to listen, especially when furious. So the possibility that she had been unchained because of Primo was high.

Just as Ashley thought she had lost this once-in-a-lifetime gamble, a knock came at the door. She didn’t bother to look as it slowly opened.

Nolan peeked inside, checking if Ashley and Primo were awake. The moment he saw her curled up beside Primo, hugging her knees, his heart clenched.

The sight reminded him of how she would usually look whenever she failed.

"Madam," he whispered as he stepped inside.

Ashley didn’t move. She didn’t respond.

He stopped a step from the bed, glancing at Primo before looking back at her. He sighed heavily.

"Madam, I—"

"How... angry was he?"

Her question cut him off before he could apologize.

"Huh?" Nolan furrowed his brows as she slowly looked up at him.

The moment their eyes met, Nolan noticed the lingering swelling around her eyelids — clear evidence that she had cried herself to sleep. The sight alone filled him with guilt, but her next words nearly broke him.

"Nolan, was he angry at you too? I’m sorry... and about the game? Did the guy find you?"

He choked. "... yes."

She smiled subtly, glancing at Primo. "That’s good to hear."

"Madam," he said quietly, exhaling before sitting on the bed. He looked her in the eye, attempting a smile, but failing. "The master is not angry with you."

"What?"

Nolan pressed his lips together. "I’m sorry, Madam. I promised you that you wouldn’t get in trouble, but I failed."

I figured, she thought. That jerk wouldn’t even listen to Nolan.

"Had I been fast enough, I could have explained everything before it escalated," Nolan sighed. "But I was a little late."

"Fast enough?" Her brows knitted. "Nolan, what are you talking about?"

"What I mean is, everything happened too quickly before I could reach the master and explain what actually occurred," Nolan clarified. "But the damage was already done. I’m sorry."

Eh?

Ashley blinked repeatedly, studying Nolan’s guilt-stricken expression. Then, suddenly, her face lit up.

She grabbed Nolan’s arm, making him jolt. "Really?!"

"Huh?"

"Does that mean he’s not angry anymore?!" she exclaimed. "Did you tell him it was a misunderstanding?"

For a second, confusion flickered in Nolan’s eyes. Still, he nodded uncertainly. "Uh... yes."

"Nice!" she clapped excitedly, her sudden energy waking Primo.

Primo rubbed his eyes as he lazily sat up. But the moment he did, a pair of hands grabbed his shoulders.

"Primo, did you hear that?!" she exclaimed. "The big boss made a mistake! Ho ho ho!"

The boy, who usually needed a moment to fully wake up, stared at her in confusion. All he saw was her usual bright and mischievous grin, something he hadn’t expected today. Then her evil laugh echoed through the room.

What he and Nolan had expected was a gloomy Ashley—withdrawn and sulking like she always did after failing.

But no.

She was practically glowing, as if she had woken up determined to outshine the sun itself.

"Madam...?" Nolan called cautiously. "Are you...?"

"I’m alright!" she declared, swinging her legs off the bed. "By the way, where is he?"

Both Nolan and Primo stared at her, speechless. She clapped to snap them out of it.

"Lucian! Where is he?" she asked eagerly, already getting off the bed. "I need to talk to him. Strike while the iron is hot—that’s my motto in this lifetime. I’m not going to sit around."

"Uh... Madam, about that..." Nolan cleared his throat, still baffled by her reaction. "...the master said you can have your phone back and choose any car you like."

Her lips parted as she froze for a second. "Really?"

"Yes," Nolan nodded. "And you’re free to go out again if you wish. Perhaps shop... or spend your time however you like."

"Wow..." Ashley’s eyes sparkled as she imagined all the possibilities now that Lucian had returned her freedom.

That’s actually why I wanted to rush to him... didn’t think he’d just give it back so easily.

She snapped her gaze back at Nolan. "Hehe. That’s nice, but Nolan—where is he?"

"..."

When Nolan didn’t answer immediately, Ashley knew something hadn’t gone according to plan.

Nolan sighed. "The master has left for work, and he said he might be away for some time. So you don’t need to worry about anything. He already gave orders to cater—"

"That jerk! I knew it! Did he think he could leave just like that without an apology?!" she roared, cutting him off as she jumped from her spot. "Today, he doesn’t get to run after giving me that attitude. He’s dead! Dead, dead, dead!"

Her voice echoed as she stormed out of the room, leaving Nolan and Primo staring at the open door.

The two exchanged glances before quickly following after her, unsure what she was planning.

Well...

Ashley had wagered her life, and now that she had won, she wasn’t about to settle for a consolation prize.

Her eyes glinted as she marched off, muttering under her breath.

"That guy better pray I don’t catch him."

*****

Meanwhile, Lucian sat in the backseat of a car when a sudden chill crawled up his spine.

"..."